Method and apparatus for refrigeration



Oct. 8, 1929. c. FIELD 1,730,922

IITHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATION Filed Dec. 1927 Crosfiyik'elal Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT orr cs CROSBY FIELD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB, BY IESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FLAKICE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATION Application filed December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,301.

This invention relates to a method of refrigeration and apparatus for carrying out the method, and has particular reference to such a method and apparatus for producing and maintaining cooling effects at temperatures above the freezing point of water.

In refrigerating apparatus and methods employed prior to this invention, it has been customary to circulate a cooling medium, such as brine, and while good results have been obtained, such apparatus and methods have been comparatively costly. ,F or economic reasons, the brine must be collected and used over again after having passed through the cooling coils, necessitating expensive return piping, and because of the cor rosive action of the brine upon the pipes, valves, etc, the maintenance costs are also high.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of refrigeration, which will be less costly and more efiicient than prior art methods, and particularly adapted for cold storage plants, for cooling reaction vessels of various kinds, for cooling freight cars, steamship cargo holds and the like.

Another object is to provide a novel method for icing tanks, wagons, cars, etc. with crushed ice for various purposes.

Another object is'to provide a simple apparatus for practicing the novel steps of the method.

, More specifically, the invention contemplates the use of a mixture of crushed ice and a-v mixture has a greater heat abstraction capacity than brine and does not have such destructive corrosive action on the parts of the system with which it comes in contact. For purposes of economy in the initial installation, it is not necessary to provide return piping for-the fluid after it has passed through the cooling coils, but it ispossible to discharge the fluid directly'into a waste pipe or the'like without any economic disadvantage. Another feature of the inventionrewhich is prefera 1y 0 sides in the fact that under certain circumstances, it is convenient to convey crushed ice or the like to various points of distribution for use in filling tanks, wagons, cars or the like, and for this purpose, it may be initially mixed with water and conveniently pumped to a local point of use, at which place the crushed ice may be strained from the water and available in its initial form.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein the invention has been shown diagrammatically by way of illustration and wherein- V Figure 1 is a diagrammatic lay-out partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the complete apparatus employed in practicing the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view,'showing more specifically the use of the novel method in cooling railroad cars.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that cakes of ice 10 may be delivered on a. suitable chute 11 from which it enters a crushing machine 12 which may be of any suitable form for either crushing, cracking. flaking or otherwise comminuting the ice. The crushed ice is discharged as at 13 from the crusher 12 into a suitable receptacle 14,

' here shown as in the nature of a tank, which is also supplied with water through a pipe 15 controlled by valve .16. The crushed ice and water become thoroughly mixed within the receptacle 14, and while their proportions may be varied to suit different operating conditions, it has been found that'amixture containing from 15 to 35% of ice by weight is most eflicient. The latter fi ure, however, is

not to be construed as a maxnnum in the pro portion of tire parts,-since it has been found that mixtures including up to of ice may be umped, as will hereinafter'be described.

e cooling fluid from the receptacle 14 is conducted throu h a pipe 17 to a pump 18 w the centrifugaltype and which delivers said fluid to a main 19, which may if desired, be provided with any number of branches 20$, 21 and 22. The

branchcommunicates with a coil 23 in a refrigerator 24, and circulation through said coil in the direction of the arrows is controlled by a supply valve' 25 and discharge valve'26. Said discharge valve 26 communicates with a return pipe 27, through which the fluid may -be'conducted back to the receptaclel i.

By way of illustrating the'application of -provided with a surrounding jacket 31,

through which the mixture of ice and water may also be circulated in a manner similar to that in coil 23, such circulation being controlled by valves 32 and 33 and discharging into the return pipe 27. It is, of course, un-- necessary to return the fluid to the receptacle 1 and in the event that such return is not desired, it may be run directly from the cooling jacket into a waste pipe as indicated at 34 at the discharge side of the vessel 29.

At any suitable point in' the branch 21, a valve 35 controls passage of some of the fluid through a pipe 36 discharging into afiltering tank or the like 37. Here the particles of 7 ice may be suitably strained or filtered from car while the train is temporarily stopped, and the simple apparatus necessary for this the water and used in various ways by itself. The invention is particularly useful in freight yards and railroad terminals, when it is desired to cool, the interior of a freight purpose is shown more particularly in Figure 2. The freight car 40 is provided with suitable circulation coils not. shown in the drawing, said coils 'being supplied with the cooling fluid through a coupling 41 connected with the supply pipe 42'from pump 43,

which in turn draws the mixture of ice and water through pipe 44 from the mixing tank a 45. After circulating through the coils i whereby to abstract heat from the interior of the car, the fluid is discharged through a turned to the mixing tank,.the ice has been coupling 46 and-pipe 47 returnin to the tank 45. Obviously, when the fluid is remixture'-of crushed ice and water,ra cooling device, and means including a pump for circulating the fluid mixture from said receptacle through said cooling device, and supply and return conduits between said device and said receptacle.

2. Refrigerating apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle, 2. machine for producing crushed -ice to be supplied to the receptacle, means for supplying water to the receptacle to mix with said crushed ice,

a plurality of cooling devices, supply and return conduits connecting said devices to the receptacle, one of said cooling devices hav ing an overflow, supply conduits extendin beyond said receptacles, a filtering tank, and a connection for discharging into said tank from one of said last mentioned conduits.

3. The process of refrigerating cons isting of mixing crushed ice and water, supplying said mixture" to one or more cooling devices, and returningvsaid mixture to said receptacle after being utilized in said cooling devices.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I havesigned my name hereto.

7 .CROS BY FIELD.

practically melted by virtue of its absor tion,

and, therefore, when the fluid is use over again in that way, it is .necessary to add cracked ice from time to time, in 'ordervto maintain the proper proportions.

' It will be evident from the foregoing that a very simple method of refrigeration has been provided, which is capable of being carried out at low cost, both as to installation of apparatus andcmaintenance th reof. Ob viously, the invention is suscepti e of modifications in the details of construction and in the steps of themethod and is applicable for refrigeration purposes in environments 

